Refrigerator shelf



T. J. MORTON, JR 2,876,910

REFRIGERATOR SHELF 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 10, 1959 Filed bed. 14, 1955 197' le/Vfis.

. V e HUM-m KM, i i o r fifll u/ M m M 4m w M w. N. fl, MK ML Y w 7 I n r B \IH 7 u I) I'll .w 3 7 j 2 i w w m T. J. MORTON, JR

REFRIGERATOR SHELF March 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 14, 1955 llll mmvron 750M195 .[Mopromk anna s. EER GER mm i gs. J. Mar an, In, Evan vi n s gns: t

mana am;

manpower- ApplicatinnDecemher. 1 t, 1955, Serial-No. 5573,4195I 1sisa Q .1.

This invention relates to a new and improved-metal shelf! structure and l to a method for producing the same.

More particularlfl'th. invention isconcerned with are fri'g'erator" shelfcomprisedof parallel, spaced crossbars andla peripheralframewhich provides'a' means for supporting said Crossbars and functions T as a skid for sliding theish'elfin and out of a refrigerator.

It is' an object of the invention to produce a refrigerator shelf-which willpossess an improveddesign and appear ance, and "which is adapted for construction from ex.- tru'rled shapes andround bars. 'Another. object'ofthe invention is. to provide an improved arrangement for securing the ends of the bars to the peripheral frarne.

In accordancqwith the invention, there is provided a generally"rect g'ular per'iphral 'ffam'e"afid' a series of spaced bars extending.acrosslsuchfrarneand having their ends, secured to opposite sides thereof. Each, of the frame name. which endsioft he bars are secured hasa vertical-web and a horizon'talflangel ed intermediate tl1 :,,heightof "the web" and "pfoject in inwardly off the frame. Theendsbf: the bars overlapffsucfi.flangefandiafe secured. thereto as by: welding; after. such, securing has been efiectedft'hatportiori ofthe web whicli projects in a vertical plane beyond 'the'ba'rs is folded over the bar endsto conceal them. Conveniently, the rear. sideand two ends of the peripherahfrarne areformed of a single length of extruded stock having a general cruciform crosssectibn and bent into a U-sha'peftwo coplaharsarrns. of

such section constituting the" aforesaid web. andone'ofthe other arms constituting the aforesaid flange. In such an arrangement, the fourth arm of the section projects horizontally outwardly from the frame and, at the ends of the frame, constitutes flanges by which the shelf can be slidably supported. Either of the horizontal arms of the section may be cut away where its presence is not necessary or where it would interfere with the bending of the stock. The front of the peripheral frame is formed of a length of stock of T-shaped section, the central flange of which is the flange to which the bar-ends are secured.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Fig. 1 is atop elevation of a refrigerator shelf em bodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1 and shows in detail the folding arrangement of the webs on the front and back sides of a shelf;

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view, also on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the top of a refrigerator shelf embodying the invention showing the relationship of the crossbars to the frames;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed section taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4 showing a refrigerator shelf support and the shelf associated therewith; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred cruciform shape. foruse in forming the bachand ends of theperiph- As shown in Fig.1; crossbars.10.aredisposedatspacerh intervals between a. framememher 12, forming thefront.

of the shelf, and a. frameirnember.ldformihg the. back. The laterally extending rod-J17- is. disposed between. shelf ends 16' and-forms .a central supp'ortfor the crossbarsj The front side of: the shelf ismadev from. an extruded T-shaped section having a. downwardly-extending-flange. 18, an upwardly eirtendingflange 20,. and. ahorizontalflange. member. 22- extending. inwardly towardthe. center of? the. shelf, said horizontal.-flangepreferably having. continuous welding bead. 23.;extending longitudinally.iu

termediateithewidth.ofitsupper face.

As can. beseen in. Fig. 3.. the crossbarsare securedto.

the frame. asbyweldinglsaid crossbars atspacedinten vals tothe upperface. of :flange22. After. all of theorem.-

bars. are aflixed in. position .th'eupper .flangeltl is ,folded down overthe ends. Of-said crossbarsto provide addi.- tionalrigidityto theweldedj oints, conceal any variations. in the lengths of the cross-bars, and hold the crossbar.

ends down in event any ofthewelds break.

The back :and ends of. the peripheral frame aI'QCOIlr,

veniently formed. of. a single.lengtl1 of extruded stock having fore-armed thecruciforrn cross-section shown. in

Fig. 7-, such memberbeing bentintoa Ushapeto.pro= Before bending, oneofthe horizontalarmsnrflanges, indicated;

vide, the back 14 and ends, 16: Ofuthfi. frame.

atv 24, may be, removed. except over the. extent of the frame-ends.

form. a, protective rim around; three. sides. of the shelf. Along the, ends, of. the. shelf; the laterally extending flangesll Project; outwardlyjtq form askid, so that-the.

shelf may be slid in or out of the refrigerator on a shelfsupporting lip 30 (Fig. 6) attached to the refrigerator wall. To further such function of the flange 24 it may be formed along its outer edge with a downwardly extending lip 31.

Centrally along each end of the shelf the laterally extending flange 26 is sheared from the vertical web 27-28 and offset downwardly to a level coplanar with the bottom of the crossbars 10 as shown at 33 so that the lower face of said section may engage the upper edge of the laterally extending bar 17, which may then be welded to the offset sections 33 to provide a support for the intermediate portions of the crossbars 10.

At the front of the shelf, the flange 26 projects forwardly beyond the ends of the web 27-28 and is again oflset downwardly, as at 35 (Fig. 2), to bring its lower face coplanar with the bottoms of the crossbars 10, so that it may lie on top of flange 22 and be welded thereto with the bars 10, thereby securing the two frame members together to form a continuous peripheral frame for the shelf.

I claim as my invention:

1. A shelf structure, comprising a first member in the form of a length of metal stock bent into a general U-shape to form one side and two ends of a generally rectangular peripheral frame, a second member forming the fourth side of said frame, each of said members having a vertical web and a horizontal flange projecting inwardly of the frame, and a series of crossbars extending. betwee'n the second member and the side-forming portion of said first member, the ends of said crossbars overlapping and being secured to said flanges, the flange on said'first member projecting beyond the web thereof at the ends of the first member into overlapping relation with the flange of the second member and being secured thereto to hold said two members rigidly togetheri 2. A shelf'structure as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said crossbars lie beneath the plane of the horizontal flange of said first member, opposite portions of said flange intermediate the extent of the frame-ends being olfset downwardly to bring their lower surfaces into substantially coplanar relationship with the bottoms of said crossbars, and a bar-supporting rod extending longitudinally of the self beneath the crossbars and said offset flange portions and secured to the latter.

3. A shelf structure as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that at .least over a substantial extent of the frame-ends said .U-shaped stock is of cruciform cross section having two substantially coplanar arms constituting said vertical web; a third arm'c'onstituting said flange, and a fourth arm projecting horizontally outwardly on two ends of the shelf for engagement with a shelf support.

4. A shelf structure as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that the horizontal flanges of said two members lie intermediate the vertical extents of the respective webs, the flange of the second member lying below the ends of the crossbars to which it is secured, and the upper portion of the web of the second member being folded inwardly of the frame to overlie such crossbar-ends.

5. In a shelf structure, a generally rectangular peripheral frame comprising first and second members, saidfirst member comprising a length of metal stock bent into a general U-shape the intermediate stretch of which serves as one side of said frame, said second member extending between the ends of the other stretches of said first member and constituting the other side of said frame, each ofsaid members being formed of stock having a vertically extending web and a horizontal flange located intermediate the height of said web and projecting inwardly of the frame, and a series of crossbars extending across said frame with their ends lying beneath th'ehorh zontal flange of the firstmembe'r and above the horizontal gamma and inwardly of the frameto cooperate with theadjacent flange in maintaining the adjacent ends of the crossbars in coplanar relationship, and the upper marginal portion of the flange of said second member being bent downwardly and inwardly of the frame over the adjacent ends of the crossbars into opposed relation to the associated flange to cooperate with suchflange in maintaining such adjacent crossbar ends incoplanar relationship.

of the web of said first member being bent upwardly 6. In ashelf structure, a generally rectangular P5? ripheral frame comprising first and second members said first'member comprising a length of metal stock bent'into a general U-shape the intermediate stretch of which serves as one side of said frame; said second member extending between the ends of the other stretches of said first member and constituting the other side of said frame, each of said members being formed of stock having a vertically extending web and a horizontal flange located intermediate the height of said web and projecting inwardly of the frame, and a series of crossbars extending across said frame with their ends overlapping the flanges of said first and second members and secured-thereto, a marginal portion of the webof at least one ofsaid two members being bent over the adjacent ends of said crossbars into opposed spaced relation to the associated flange to cooperate with such flange in maintaining the ends of the crossbars in coplanar relationship, the stock of which said first member is formed having a second horizontal flange extending along and projecting, outwardly, from the ends of the frame for engagement with a shelf-support.

Referenc'es' Cite'd' m ne at at this reat" UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 onion REFERENCES" Michigan Brass 8: Copper Co, February 1936 (extruded aluminum shape No. 778). 

